Railways

This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge, which is the measure of the distance between the inner sides of the load-bearing rails. The four typical types of gauges are: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed in a note. Some 60% of the world's railways use the standard gauge of 1.4 m (4.7 ft). Gauges vary by country and sometimes within countries. The choice of gauge during initial construction was mainly in response to local conditions and the intent of the builder. Narrow-gauge railways were cheaper to build and could negotiate sharper curves, broad-gauge railways gave greater stability and permitted higher speeds. Standard-gauge railways were a compromise between narrow and broad gauges.

• Albania

  total: 424 km (2017)
  
  2021-All the trains in the country suspended

• Algeria

  total: 4,020 km (2019)

• Angola

  total: 2,761 km (2022)
  
  narrow gauge: 2,638 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge
  
  123 km 0.600-mm gauge

• Argentina

  total: 17,866 km (2018)

• Armenia

  total: 686 km (2017)

• Australia

  total: 36,064 km (2022) 3,448 km electrified
  
  standard gauge: 18,007 km (2022) 1.435 mm
  
  narrow gauge: 11,914 km (2022) 1.067 mm
  
  broad gauge: 2,685 km (2022) 1.600 mm

• Austria

  total: 6,123 km (2022) 3,523 km electrified

• Azerbaijan

  total: 2,944.3 km (2017)
  
  broad gauge: 2,944.3 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge (approx. 1,767 km electrified)

• Bangladesh

  total: 2,460 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 659 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge

• Belarus

  total: 5,528 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 25 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 5,503 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)

• Belgium

  total: 3,602 km (2020) 3,160 km electrified

• Benin

  total: 438 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 438 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• Bolivia

  total: 3,960 km (2019)
  
  narrow gauge: 3,960 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

  total: 965 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 965 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified)

• Botswana

  total: 888 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 888 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Brazil

  total: 29,849.9 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 194 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 23,341.6 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (24 km electrified)
  
  broad gauge: 5,822.3 km (2014) 1.600-m gauge (498.3 km electrified)
  
  dual gauge: 492 km (2014) 1.600-1.000-m gauge

• Bulgaria

  total: 4,029 km (2020) 2,871 km electrified

• Burkina Faso

  total: 622 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 622 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire

• Burma

  total: 5,031 km (2008)
  
  narrow gauge: 5,031 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge

• Cambodia

  total: 642 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 642 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  note: under restoration

• Cameroon

  total: 987 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

• Canada

  total: 49,422 km (2021) note: 129 km electrified (2021)
  
  standard gauge: 49,422 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge

• Chile

  total: 7,281.5 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 3,853.5 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 3,428 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified)

• China

  total: 150,000 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (100,000 km electrified); 104,0000 traditional, 40,000 high-speed

• Christmas Island

  total: 18 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 18 km (2017) 1.435-m (not in operation)
  
  note: the 18-km Christmas Island Phosphate Company Railway between Flying Fish Cove and South Point was decommissioned in 1987; some tracks and scrap remain in place

• Colombia

  total: 2,141 km (2019)
  
  standard gauge: 150 km (2019) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 1,991 km (2019) 0.914-m gauge

• Congo, Democratic Republic of the

  total: 4,007 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 3,882 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified)
  
  125 1.000-mm gauge

• Congo, Republic of the

  total: 510 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 510 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Costa Rica

  total: 278 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 278 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
  
  note: the entire rail network fell into disrepair and out of use at the end of the 20th century; since 2005, certain sections of rail have been rehabilitated

• Cote d'Ivoire

  total: 660 km (2008)
  
  narrow gauge: 660 km (2008) 1.000-m gauge
  
  note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso

• Croatia

  total: 2,617 km (2020) 980 km electrified

• Cuba

  total: 8,367 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge
  
  note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

• Czechia

  total: 9,548 km (2020) 3,242 km electrified

• Denmark

  total: 2,682 km (2020) 876 km electrified

• Djibouti

  total: 97 km (2017) (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
  
  standard gauge: 97 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

• Dominican Republic

  total: 496 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

• Ecuador

  total: 965 km (2022)
  
  narrow gauge: 965 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge
  
  note: passenger service limited to certain sections of track, mostly for tourist trains

• Egypt

  total: 5,085 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 5,085 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified)

• El Salvador

  total: 12.5 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 12.5 km (2014) 0.914-mm gauge

• Eritrea

  total: 306 km (2018)
  
  narrow gauge: 306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

• Estonia

  total: 1,441 km (2020) 225 km electrified

• Eswatini

  total: 301 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 301 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Ethiopia

  total: 659 km (2017) (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
  
  standard gauge: 659 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
  
  note: electric railway with redundant power supplies; under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia and managed by a Chinese contractor

• European Union

  total: 200,251 km (2020)

• Fiji

  total: 597 km (2008)
  
  narrow gauge: 597 km (2008) 0.600-m gauge
  
  note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December

• Finland

  total: 5,918 km (2020) 3,349 km electrified

• France

  total: 27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified
  
  narrow gauge: -5 km

• Gabon

  total: 649 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Georgia

  total: 1,363 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 37 km (2014) 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified)
  
  broad gauge: 1,326 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified)

• Germany

  total: 39,379 km (2020) 20,942 km electrified
  
  15 km 0.900-mm gauge, 24 km 0.750-mm gauge (2015)

• Ghana

  total: 947 km (2022)
  
  narrow gauge: 947 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

• Greece

  total: 2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrified

• Guatemala

  total: 800 km (2018)
  
  narrow gauge: 800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge
  
  note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)

• Guinea

  total: 1,086 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 279 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 807 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

• Honduras

  total: 699 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 164 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
  
  115 km 1.057-mm gauge
  420 km 0.914-mm gauge

• Hungary

  total: 7,687 km (2020) 3,111 km electrified

• India

  total: 65,554 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 1,604 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 63,950 km (2014) (39, 329 km electrified)

• Indonesia

  total: 8,159 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 8,159 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified)
  
  note: 4,816 km operational

• Iran

  total: 8,483.5 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 8,389.5 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified)
  
  broad gauge: 94 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge

• Iraq

  total: 2,272 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 2,272 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Ireland

  total: 1,688 km (2020) 53 km electrified

• Isle of Man

  total: 63 km (2008)
  
  narrow gauge: 6 km (2008) 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified)
  
  57 0.914-mm gauge (29 km electrified) note: primarily summer tourist attractions

• Israel

  total: 1,384 km (2019) (2019)
  
  standard gauge: 1,384 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Italy

  total: 18,475 km (2020) 12,936 km electrified
  
  1289.3 0.950-mm gauge (151.3 km electrified)

• Japan

  total: 27,311 km (2015)
  
  standard gauge: 4,800 km (2015) 1.435-m gauge (4,800 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 124 km (2015) 1.372-m gauge (124 km electrified)
  
  dual gauge: 132 km (2015) 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified)
  
  22,207 km 1.067-mm gauge (15,430 km electrified)
  48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified)

• Jordan

  total: 509 km (2020)
  
  narrow gauge: 509 km (2014) 1.050-m gauge

• Kazakhstan

  total: 16,636 km (2020)
  
  broad gauge: 16,636 km (2020) 1.520-m gauge (4,237 km electrified)

• Kenya

  total: 3,819 km (2018)
  
  standard gauge: 485 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 3,334 km (2018) 1.000-m gauge

• Korea, North

  total: 7,435 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 7,435 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (5,400 km electrified)
  
  note: figures are approximate; some narrow-gauge railway also exists

• Korea, South

  total: 3,979 km (2016)
  
  standard gauge: 3,979 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (2,727 km electrified)

• Kosovo

  total: 437 km (2020)

• Kyrgyzstan

  total: 424 km (2022)
  
  broad gauge: 424 km (2018) 1.520-m gauge

• Laos

  total: 422 km (2023)
  
  standard gauge: 422 km (2023)

• Latvia

  total: 2,216 km (2020) 257 km electrified

• Lebanon

  total: 401 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge
  
  note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

• Liberia

  total: 429 km (2008)
  
  standard gauge: 345 km (2008) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 84 km (2008) 1.067-m gauge
  
  note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt

• Liechtenstein

  total: 9 km (2018)
  
  standard gauge: 9 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
  
  note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland

• Lithuania

  total: 1,911 km (2020) 152 km electrified

• Luxembourg

  total: 271 km (2020) 262 km electrified

• Madagascar

  total: 836 km (2018)
  
  narrow gauge: 836 km (2018) 1.000-m gauge

• Malawi

  total: 767 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 767 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Malaysia

  total: 1,851 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 59 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 1,792 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified)

• Mali

  total: 593 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 593 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• Mauritania

  total: 728 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 728 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Mexico

  total: 23,389 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 23,389 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified)

• Moldova

  total: 1,171 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

• Monaco

  note: Monaco has a single railway station but does not operate its own train service;  the French operator SNCF operates rail services in Monaco

• Mongolia

  total: 1,815 km (2017)
  
  broad gauge: 1,815 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge
  
  note: national operator Ulaanbaatar Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway

• Montenegro

  total: 250 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 250 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (224 km electrified)

• Morocco

  total: 2,067 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 2,067 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified)

• Mozambique

  total: 4,787 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 4,787 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Namibia

  total: 2,628 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 2,628 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge

• Nepal

  total: 59 km (2018)
  
  narrow gauge: 59 km (2018) 0.762-m gauge

• Netherlands

  total: 3,055 km (2020) 2,310 km electrified

• New Zealand

  total: 4,128 km (2018)
  
  narrow gauge: 4,128 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified)

• Nigeria

  total: 3,798 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 293 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 3,505 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
  
  note: as of the end of 2018, there were only six operational locomotives in Nigeria primarily used for passenger service; the majority of the rail lines are in a severe state of disrepair and need to be replaced

• North Macedonia

  total: 699 km (2020) 313 km electrified

• Norway

  total: 3,848 km (2020) 2,482 km electrified

• Pakistan

  total: 11,881 km (2021)
  
  narrow gauge: 389 km (2021) 1.000-m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 11,492 km (2021) 1.676-m gauge (286 km electrified)

• Panama

  total: 77 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 77 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Paraguay

  total: 30 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 30 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Peru

  total: 1,854.4 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 1,730.4 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (34 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 124 km (2014) 0.914-m gauge

• Philippines

  total: 77 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 49 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 28 km (2017) 1.067-m gauge

• Poland

  total: 19,461 km (2020) 11,946 km electrified

• Portugal

  total: 2,526 km (2020) 1,696 km electrified

• Romania

  total: 10,628 km (2020) 4,030 km electrified

• Russia

  total: 85,494 km (2019)
  
  narrow gauge: 957 km

• Saint Kitts and Nevis

  total: 50 km (2008)
  
  narrow gauge: 50 km (2008) 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists

• Saudi Arabia

  total: 5,410 km (2016)
  
  standard gauge: 5,410 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings)

• Senegal

  total: 906 km (2017) (713 km operational in 2017)
  
  narrow gauge: 906 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

• Serbia

  total: 3,333 km (2020) 1,274 km electrified

• Slovakia

  total: 3,627 km (2020) 1,585 km electrified

• Slovenia

  total: 1,207 km (2020) 609 km electrified

• South Africa

  total: 20,986 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 80 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)
  
  other: (2014) 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified)

• South Sudan

  total: 248 km (2018)
  
  note: a narrow gauge, single-track railroad between Babonosa (Sudan) and Wau, the only existing rail system, was repaired in 2010 with $250 million in UN funds, but is not currently operational

• Spain

  total: 15,489 km (2020) 9,953 km electrified

• Sri Lanka

  total: 1,562 km (2016)
  
  broad gauge: 1,562 km (2016) 1.676-m gauge

• Sudan

  total: 7,251 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 5,851 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
  
  1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations

• Sweden

  total: 10,910 km (2020) 8,184 km electrified
  
  narrow gauge: 65 km

• Switzerland

  total: 5,296 km (2020) 5,296 km electrified; Switzerland remains the only country with a fully electrified network

• Syria

  total: 2,052 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 1,801 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 251 km (2014) 1.050-m gauge

• Taiwan

  total: 1,613.1 km (2018)
  
  standard gauge: 345 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 1,118.1 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified)
  
  150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower

• Tajikistan

  total: 680 km (2014)
  
  broad gauge: 680 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

• Tanzania

  total: 4,097 km (2022)
  
  standard gauge: 421 km (2022)
  
  narrow gauge: 969 km (2022) 1.067 m gauge
  
  broad gauge: 2,707 km (2022) 1.000 m guage

• Thailand

  total: 4,127 km (2017)
  
  standard gauge: 84 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified)
  
  narrow gauge: 4,043 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

• Togo

  total: 568 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 568 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• Tunisia

  total: 2,173 km (2014) (1,991 in use)
  
  standard gauge: 471 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 1,694 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
  
  dual gauge: 8 km (2014) 1.435-1.000-m gauge

• Turkey (Turkiye)

  total: 11,497 km (2018)
  
  standard gauge: 11,497 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (1.435 km high speed train)

• Turkmenistan

  total: 5,113 km (2017)
  
  broad gauge: 5,113 km (2017) 1.520-m gauge

• Uganda

  total: 1,244 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 1,244 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• Ukraine

  total: 21,733 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 49 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (49 km electrified)
  
  broad gauge: 21,684 km (2014) 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified)

• United Kingdom

  total: 16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified

• United States

  total: 293,564.2 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 293,564.2 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

• Uruguay

  total: 1,673 km (2016) (operational; government claims overall length is 2,961 km)
  
  standard gauge: 1,673 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge

• Uzbekistan

  total: 4,642 km (2018)
  
  broad gauge: 4,642 km (2018) 1.520-m gauge (1,684 km electrified)

• Venezuela

  total: 447 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 447 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified)

• Vietnam

  total: 2,600 km (2014)
  
  standard gauge: 178 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge
  
  narrow gauge: 2,169 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

• World

  total: 1,148,186 km (2013)

• Zambia

  total: 3,126 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 3,126 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge
  
  note: includes 1,860 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)

• Zimbabwe

  total: 3,427 km (2014)
  
  narrow gauge: 3,427 km (2014) 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)